Automatic sampler



"May 24, 1932. J. LIEN AUToMAqJIC'gAMPLBR Filed Dec. sA sheets-sheet 1 lNvNToR foam/1E ze@ avc ArTonNE May,24, 1932. '.1. LIEN 1,860,107

AUTOMATIC SAMPLER Y j l Filed Dec. 23. 1 929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 24, 1932.

J. Ll E N AUTOMAT I C SAMPLER Filed Deo. 23,' 1929 3 Sheet-Shet 3 Patented May 24, 1932 JoNA's mamon PoR-'r wnsiinvrerrola, NEW Yom:

au'rom'rrc SAMPLER Application led December 28, 19'29. Serial No. 415,984.'

This linvention relates to an' automatic sampler for use 1n connectlon wlth apparatus for transporting or feedmg coal, ore, cement,

lime, sand, grain or other materials from the n mass of which it is desired to either continuously or periodically segregate or withdraw a characteristic sample quantity for purposes of analysis. y .f p

It is the principal object/and purpose of my present invention to provide such an' automatic sampler which may be assembled from parts or elements of standard, construction so combined and'arranged as to produce a practical unit capable of easy application f in operative relation to various types of material transporting and feeding apparatus, or which if desired, may also be utilized in connection -with a bin or other storage container forthe material.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a collectingmeansfor the material to be sampled embodying a ,conveyer trough, and adjustable collector plates eX- tending above the open side of the trough together with'automatically operating means for preventing clogging-of' the material be- I tween the collector plates and vdislodging and removing undesirable matter to prevent the saine from entering the collector trough.' 3 A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a Crusher for the segregated material to be sampled, and automatically actuated means for intermittently collecting portions of the ground or crushed 'material and. delivering the same toa receptacle.

It is a further general object 'of the invention to provide an automatic sampler unit of b' 'the above character, in which the initial con'- struction cost as well' as the maintenance and Aoperation expense will be comparatively low,

and which will be highly efficient and reliable in its practical operation.

e struction and relative arrangement of its several parts, as will be'hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the improved,auto-laterally j. matic sampling device, and intlrefii, con-4 drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. l

In the drawings, wherein 'I have illustrated 'one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating one practical form of my present inventionand also showing thesame in its operative relationA with av material transporting and feedlng lapparatus Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation; l

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken o'n the line 4-4 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 isv a' detailsectional the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Y p

While the automatic sampler to be hereinafter described in detail may be employed for collecting and withdrawing sample quanview taken on tities of Iaterial from a stationary mass f contained in a bin or other storage receptacle, 1n the accompanymg drawings, for purposes of illustration, I have shown the device as Fmounted and applied for'use in connection with a material transporting or feeding con'- veyor 5 which discharges or delivers the material from one end of the conveyer into av directing-chute indicated at 6 by which the material may be finally delivered to the charging hopper of a furnace Stoker, or to a second conveyer, screen, or a storage bin. In one practical embodiment o f the automatic sampling device, I provide within thel chute 6 at a convenient point, `a collector which segregates or removes from the mass of material falling from the conveyer 5, apr'operly Vpredetermined quantity thereof shall be characteristic of the entire which v mass of the material. While this collector might be .of various mechanical forms, as

herein shown, the same consists of the troughshaped'end vportion 8 of a conveyer housing or'casing 7 which extends horizontally and from one side of the-chute 6, 'said trough-shaped end portion 8 of the 'conveyer casing extending across the chute andtermi- 'nating in spaced relation to the opposite side thereof. 'This endportion -of the casing is substantially semi-circular in cross section as shown 1n Fig. 4 and open at the top thereof. Upon the opposite sides of the material receiving trough '8, upwardly extending plates are mounted. The lower ends of lower ends of saidplates apart, thus tending to rock the same upon the collector trough 8 and urge the upper edges ofsaid plates towards each other. Thus by properly adj justing the nuts 12, it will be readily understood that the space between the upper edges of the plates 10 may be varied to thus regulate the quantity of thematerial falling from the conveyer 5 which may 'enter between said plates and be received in the trough 8. For convenience, I have shown the intake of the material collector extending in parallel relation with the horizontally positioned conveyer housing 7, but it will be understood that if desired, this collector may bel arranged with its inlet opening disposed at right angles tothe conveyer in said housing or at any other desired angle.

While any desired type of conveyer might "be utilized, I have shown a conventional screw conveyer 15 within the housing or casing 7, the shaft or axis 16 of which is extended beyond the end of the conveyer casing and journalled in a suitable bearing provided vupon a supporting frame structure generally indicated at 17.

At a point suitably spaced below this conveyer 15, a second similar conveyer 18 is mounted, the shaft 19 thereof being likewise extended beyond the conveyer casing and j ournalled in a bearing on the frame 17. The opposite end of the conveyer casing opens into the main guide chute 6 for the falling material delivered from the conveyer 5.

Between the spaced conveyers 15 and 18, a suitable type of crusher indicated at 20 is mounted 1n the frame 17 This crusher reyceives the sample qii'antity of material delivered from the conveyer 5 by the lateral conveyer 15 and after crushing the sample is delivered in crushed or comminuted form to the lower conveyer 18'. This crusher is operated by a suitable motor 21 which may be connected either directly or indirectly to one end of the crusher shaft, the other end of said crusher shaft being coupled with a suitable speed transmission indicated at 22, the shaft of which is operatively-connected with the shafts 16 and 19of the spaced conveyers, asby meansof suitable drive chains 23 and 24 respectively.

While in the present instance, I have shown the spaced conveyers -15 and 18 as arfixed to said' wall. The slide plate 25 is coni nected with one end of a rod 27 supported for movement longitudinally of the conveyer casingvin suitable bearings indicated at 28. A coil spring 29 is arranged on said rod between one o f the bearings 28 and a collar 30 fixed on the rod, and yieldingly urges said rod in one direction to a normal position to cause the opening 31 in the plate 25 to register with the open end of a downwardly extending tube 32 fixed in one end of the guide plate 26. This tube is preferably provlded lwith a valve 33 to control the discharge of material therethrough into a collecting-re ceptacle indicated at 34. In spaced relationt'o the tube `32, the wall of the conveyer casing 18 has an outlet open-- ing 35 therein for the ground or crushed material. The end of the slide plate is provided with a downwardly extending lipor flange indicated at 36, which by contact with the end of the guide plate 26 limits the ymovement of the slide plate to its normal position in which the outlet opening is closed by said plate while the opening 31 is in communication with the tube 32.

Any desired operating means may be provided for reciprocating the plate 25 and rod 27, but for this purpose, I have herein shown the conveyer shaft l9f-provided with a worm 37 meshing with the worm gear 38 on the transverse shaft 39;: ThisA shaft carries a gear segment 40 meshingfwith rack teeth 41 l provided upon the upper side' of rod 27.

From the above description it will be seen that in the operation of the mechanism,as the gear segment 40 engages the rack teeth 41, the rod 27 and slide plate 25 are moved to.

the left from the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings until opening 31 registers with the opening 35 in theconveyer casing. Thus, the ground material will passl throughthe latter opening and lill. the ropening 31 in plate 25. In the continued rotation of gear segment 40, it moves out ofmesh with the rack teeth 41 so that the spring 29 will then expand and return the plate 25 to `its vnormal position, thus registering 'the opening '31 thereof withtube 32 'so that the material will drop by gravity from-said opening through the tube and into the collecting receptacle 3 4` When the slide plate isthus returned to norof 4said plate forcibly contacts with the end Of the guide plate 26. The slide plate will vmal position by the spring 29, the flange 36 thus be jarred or vibrated so that in the event the material in opening 31 is moist and tends to stick or clog therein, such material will be' dislodged or loosened.

Ialso find it advantageous to provide a means which will automatically operate to minimize the quantitynof straw, excelsior,`

lwire or other extraneous material entering the collector trough 8. 'Such` materials are usually placed in the bottom of lthe dump cars and are discharged therefrom with the coa-l into the hopper delivering the material to the conveyer 5. For this purpose, I provide a reciprocating plunger rod 42 mounted in the frame 17 above the upper con'veyer 15, said rod being yieldingly urged to its normal position by a coill spring 43 arranged thereon bearing at one of its ends against a guide support 44 for the rod and at Aits other end against the collar 45 fixed on said rod. One

' end of this rod is slidable through an open- 1 ing in the wall of the chute 6 and is provided with a scraper part 46 preferably of the general form shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings and havinga portion 46 extending below the rodl and between the upper endsof the collector plates 10 in engagement with the opposed faces thereof. At opposite sides of the rod 42, this part 46 slides upon the upper Iedges of thev collector plates. Thus when said part is projected longitudinally across the upper ends of the `plates to the position shown in dotted lines in'Fig. 1 of the drawings, 'no material can enter. between the collector plates. e

The means for operating the plunger rod 42 may be similar to the operating means for the rod 27 above referred to, including the worm 47 on the upper conveyer shaft 1.6 meshingwith worm gear 48 on a'transverse shaft 49. This shaft carries the two sector lgears50 arranged at opposite sides of gear nected with the'end of'rod 42, said racks being lmovably supported in suitable guide means indicated at 52 which is fixed to the frame 17. 1 i

In the operation of the above described feature of my invention, it will be understood that as the sector gears 50 are brought into coacting engagement with racks 5 1, the rod 42 is moved in one direction against the action of spring 43, thereby sliding the part 46 between and upon the upper ends ofthe collector plates 10. Accordingly, any material becoming clogged between the upper ends of said plates will be scraped by the part 46 beyond the end of the collector trough 8 and will fall downwardly between said end of the trough and the wall of the chute 6. As

the gears 50 move out of contact with the racks 51, the spring 43 acts to return part 46 to its normal position. This reciprocating travel of the\part 46 across the upper open end 4of the collector will therefore, effectively 48 and meshing `with spaced racks 51 condislodge andremove straw, wire or. other extraneous materials, or fine moist coal or other material being sampled which may collect in a conglomerate mass'upon and between the upper edges ofthe plates 210. Therefore,

only a very minor quantity of such material Ywill enter the collector trough and be removed by the conveyer 15.

f From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen 'that I have providedan automatic sampling device in which parts or elements of standard form are arranged in a simple andcompact. combination which can be readily installed and applied, for use in connection with many diferent types of material transporting or conveying apparagrinding for the purpose of making a proper analysis. It will be understood however, that inl the adaptation of my present improvements 'to various other analogous uses, certain variations or modifications in the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements might be found desirable. Accordingly, I reserve the privilege' of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed@ Iclaim:

1. In combination with a chute to receive and direct a stream of material delivered to fior one end thereof, an automatic sampling. i means including a Crusher mounted in spaced relation to said chute, a conveyer discharging at one end into saidpcrusher and having a trough at its other end extending into said chute, collector plates mounted upon the opposite sides of said-trough'and extending upwardly therefrom in the chute, means for ad'- justing said plates transversely with respect III to the trough to vary the distance between the upper ends'of said plates and regulate the sample quantity of material segregated from the falling stream, a second conveyer receiving the ground and crushed material from said Crusher and delivering the same into the chute below the collector plates, means for removing a small sample quantity of the ground material from the latter conveyer and directing the same into a collection receptacle, i

and operating means for said conveyers and the Crusher.

2. An automatic sampling devicet of the character described including collecting and conveying means for .removing a quantity of material from a mass thereof, and said collector means having spaced plates between which the material is received, a scraper part mounted between said collector -plates at the 'entra-ncefor the material, and means for intermittently moving said scraper part across the collector entrance to force material lodgin therein to be discharged externally of the co lector.

3. In an automatic sampling device, in combination with a material receiving chute, collecting and conveying means mounted in said chute for removing a quantity of the falling mass of material, said collecting means including spaced plates disposed in the path of falling material, a` plunger rod, `a scraper part fixed to said end of the plunger rod and movable between the spaced ends of the collector plates at the material entrance,

a spring urging said plunger rod in one difrect on to anormal position to dispose said rod and the scraper part out of thepath of the falling material, and means -for intermittently moving said plunger rod in'the opposite direction to project said scraper part across the entrance between the collector plates and thereby dislodge and force material collecting in said entrance into said chute externally their upper ends and thereby regulate the volume of material received by the conveyer.

5. In sampling apparatus, a material receiving chute, and means for removing a segregated quantity of the material falling through said chute including a conveyerhavy ing one of its ends positioned in said chute, andymaterial segregating means consisting of collector plates mounted at opposite sides of the conveyer within said chute and extending upwardly from the conveyer in the path of the falling material, and means movable upon and between the upper ends of the collector plates to force material cloggingthe entrance therebetween to be discharged into said chute beyond the end of the conveyer.

6. In combination with a gravity conducting chute for material to be sampled, sam` pllng means including upper and lower con- -05 veyers extending laterally from said chute,

adjusting said plates to space the same at means for collecting a part of the material falling through the chute and delivering the same to the upper conveyer, a crusher arranged between said conveyers and receiving the material from the upper conveyer and delivering the crushed material to the lower conveyer for return to said chute, means' actuated during operation of said conveyers for intermittently extracting definitely propor tioned samples of the crushed material during transit by the latter conveyer, means operatively connecting said sample extracting means with the lower conveyer, a motor, and driving connections between said motor an the upper and lower conveyers.

` 7 In combination with a gravit conducting chute for material to be samp ed, u per and lower conveyers extending laterally rom said chute, means arranged within the chute for collecting a definitely .predetermined proportion of the falling stream of material and delivering the same to said upper conveyer,

a Crusher arranged between said conveyers receiving the material from the upper conveyer and delivering crushed material to the lower conveyer for return to said chute,

'means for intermittently extracting definitely proportioned samples oftlie `crushed 'ma- -terial during transity by the latter conveyer comprising a reciprocating plate and actuating means therefor, and means for operating said conveyers and the sample extracting means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

JONAS LIEN. 

